Uzbekistan and Russia Become the Main Sources of Tourist Arrivals to Kazakhstan in 2025

Tourism contributed 1% of Kazakhstan’s GDP

Foreign tourists spent KZT 1.8 trillion ($3.5 billion) in Kazakhstan in 2025. This represents a 29.6% increase compared to the previous year, although the figure remains 8.6% below the 2019 level. The data was provided by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Tourism spending was distributed as follows: 63.7% came from international visitors, while 36.3% was generated by domestic tourism, totaling KZT 1 trillion ($2 billion). The domestic market grew by 8.7% year-on-year, but still lags 25% behind 2019 levels. Leisure travel accounted for the overwhelming majority of expenditures at 87.9%, while business travel made up 12.1%.

The largest share of visitors came from Uzbekistan (41%), Russia (25%), and Kyrgyzstan (15%). The top five source markets also included China (4%) and Belarus (1%).

Contribution to GDP and Structural Gap

Tourism directly contributed 1% of Kazakhstan’s GDP, equivalent to KZT 1.4 trillion ($2.8 billion). Including indirect effects and supplier-related activities, the sector’s total contribution reached 3.2% of GDP, or KZT 4.8 trillion ($9.3 billion). Despite a 20.9% increase in direct contribution over the past year, the industry has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic level. In 2019, tourism accounted for 3.9% of GDP.

Among 184 economies, Kazakhstan ranked highly in terms of growth dynamics, placing 6th for growth in tourism’s direct contribution to GDP, 9th for growth in international visitor spending, and 11th for overall sector contribution. However, in terms of tourism’s actual share of GDP, the country ranked 169th globally.

External Demand and Forecasts

Spending by Kazakh residents on international travel exceeded domestic tourist expenditures. Kazakhstanis spent KZT 2.2 trillion ($4.1 billion) abroad. The most popular destinations were Kyrgyzstan (31%), Uzbekistan (29%), Russia (20%), Turkey (7%), and the United Arab Emirates (4%).

According to WTTC forecasts, tourism’s total contribution to Kazakhstan’s economy is expected to reach KZT 5.4 trillion ($10.5 billion) by 2026, while spending by international visitors is projected to increase to KZT 2.1 trillion ($4 billion). In the longer term, the number of overnight tourist arrivals could reach 12.3 million by 2036.

Photo: iStock.

SHARE YOUR OPINION AND DISCUSS THE ARTICLE ON OUR TELEGRAM CHANNEL!